Council Discusses Putting Records Online
10.05.11
Any records that are not confidential may soon appear on the borough's new website, according to a discussion among Borough Council members Monday at their regular meeting.
Council President James Lonergan brought forth the so-called Open Publc Records Act (OPRA) Resolution for discussion during the council meeting. The resolution, if one is drafted and brought before the council, would state the council's intention to make any nonconfidential public records accessable via the Internet, thus saving residents the expense of paying for hard copies and cutting down on paper used.
Such a move by the council, Lonergan said, would be in the spirit of "the original intent of OPRA." Placing these records online would enhance transparency and encourage open communication with residents, he said.
Council Member Len Resto said such a move would be "a very green thing to do" since it would cut down on the town's use of paper.
Residents who want to see records can presently submit an OPRA request to the appropriate department and can wait several days for a paper copy to be created. They then would have to travel back to the department and pay per sheet for the reproduction of the record. But, Resto said, "In an electronic age, it's a different world," and many residents looked to online sources for news and other information.
Source: Patch.com